“As we now turn to the diachronic process of individuation, bear in mind that psychological growth occurs as a result of tensions, especially those between opposites, in the psyche. Among these are conflict and resolution” (p. 31).

Isn’t that reassuring? All of that delicious tension is helping us grow! Reminds me of the Degenerate Art Ensemble exhibit I saw at the Frye Art Museum in 2011. There was a video of dancers embodying creation. I think it was a bird coming out of an egg or perhaps a seed bursting through the earth to kiss the light. I just remember it felt inherently violent. Like the dance , our ego’s relationship to to our complexes creates this tension that help us grow into a bigger version of ourselves. Without integration we continue to repeat patterns that keep us stuck. Without shadow, we don’t learn.

I’ve often described my own process as “dancing with my shadow” because that’s how it feels. I don’t let it rule my life but I am aware of it. I certainly see it mirrored back to me and have learned to tend and befriend these various aspects of myself. When I was creating today’s bricolage, I did the painting that you see (the black ink in the left margin was done by dipping a dried rose in ink, btw. I love how it turned out!) then made a cut out of a little angle/devil creature. I thought it would be fun to have her dance around as a shadow instead of placing a static piece inside the frame. I ended up painting with shadow. I did all of that before choosing the word and subsequent quote. I love synchronicity!

I made a little video of it just for fun. Painting with shadow.

Working on this project has drawn me deeper inside myself into the deep quiet. I’m feeling and seeing life more geometrically and have been finding my way to far more authenticity. It’s as though life is saying, “It’s okay. Just be you,” so I am. Messy. Experimental. Playful. Intense. Present. Growing.